Valve



Patented Oct. 2, 1951 UNITED .Oj FF-ICIE :Maplewood Mo mssignorsitoLineolmEngineerling .Gompany, -S.t. Louis, M0,, zaecorporatmn of..Missouri Application J anuaryZi, I945, Seiidl No. '1-4,'852

.:3 Claim.

This invention relates -to-valves,-aand with :regard to certain morespecific features atom. shighpressure lubricant-dispensmg valve.

Among the several objects of the invention *may .be noted xthe provision-iof a so-called fourway waive .for :connecting :two :conduitsalternately to lubricant :supply and deliverypipes; "the "provision of"a waive of the class described which maybe made with a'high degree 'ofpre' c'ision and little leakage *between its operating =parts yet whichis=not subjectto bindingbetween these parts-under distortions; 'and theprovision of a valve of this class which is feasible and economical toconstruct. Other objects will be in -part obvious and in partpointed outhereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the *elements and combinations ofelements, "features of *constructiomandarrangements of parts which willbe exemplified .in the structures hereinafter described, and the .scopeof the application of which will be indicated .in the following claims.

in the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated one of variouspossible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. .1 is a longitudinal section .of .the valve showing 'itsapplication to certain pressure canduits;

,Fig.f2 is an enlargedlongitudinalsection of .a piston valve plunger;

Fig. 3 is .a bottom ,.plan view .of wthe :valve and its support, beingviewedsubstantially from line 3-- 3 .on Fig. 1;

.Fig. 4 is a might-end .viewsof .the valve parts Rig. .1 and .Fig. 5 isa front elevation but-eliminating the supporting bracket and .themeasuring mechanism shown .in Fig. 91.

Similar reference characters :indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several .views :61. the drawings.

Referring now more particularlyf to Fig. 1, the valve per .se is showningeneral atV. A typical device served by the valve is 'an injectorshown in general at I. The injectorI 'forms no part of rthe "invention"per se butshows 'a typical use of the valve.

"The valve comprises the body t of elongate square section, a side 01the "square being "less than the length of the valve body I. The "body:1 :iswentrally boredaas'shown "at 3. The bore "*3 endslinistepped'counterb'ores 5 and .1, the bases of these :counterbores being angularchamfers as shown. The :stepaof each counterbore seats a metal Thewasher in counter-bore s5 is numbered 9 and that in counterbore .-1 'is'numibered 5N. irhe was'herfl offcounterborel seats :a solid,circular-resilient disc or gasket I3. The iwasherlof counterbore' iseatsa resilient gashot H. 'This -gasket'li *(unlike gasket 13) "has a holethrough -it Tor "slidably accommodating but hugging a valve stem IT. Thepurpose of each of' washers B and H is to press upon gasket IE or 13,respectively. Slight chamfers are provided outside of the gaskets for'easy assembly into the *counterbores of "the washers and gaskets.

The 'countefbores -are enclosed by rectangular "headsWB-and 21 'whichpreferably fit flush on the end of the body but-provide projectingsupport- "ing lugs in 'which are suitable openings for .receivingholding bolts *23.

FasteningQfor the heads ['9 and 2| is consti- Ltuted by squaredarrangements of allen-head screws '25. The square arrangement of theseis accurate enough .that the heads maybe placed iin.any one-of fourpositions on the ends of the "body I. This allows Lthelugs of the headsto .be .placed .in any plane desired, .for example at v0?, 909, .and270?.

.Qnone. side-of the body .I is .a 'delivery or out- .letportl-lconnectedbmpassages 29 with thesaid :counterbores 5 and 1. ,Passages 29may conveniently :be -.directed at an angle through the tcounterboreswhen the heads +9 and 2| are ab- :sent.

The stem l1 passes through an opening in the :head d9. l his'stem'at-its inner end has threaded to .:it a supporting :rod :31 '(Fig. .2). Atits outer end this trod carries :a nut 33 :and lock nut '35 -forming ':ahead. the base of stem H is a 'spacingtwasher :37. The space between thehead :ccnstitutedby the nuts 33 and :35 and the mem- User-:31*imsliglitly longer than 'a piston valve member '39 which is looselycarried on the extension 3|. Thus the piston valve member 39 has a looseconneotion with rod 3-l, both radially and axially. *It is essentialiysmaller than "the bore ,3, except for two spaced circular lands 4],which, after reaming o'f thebore 3,ar e lap-fitted therein.

@pposite the delivery port "21 "the body I is provided with a pressuresupply or inlet port 43. symmetrically spaced from port 43 are first andsecond transfer ports 45 and 41. The space between the lands 4| isenough to connect the port 43 either with port 45 or 41 in one oranother extreme position of the valve body 39. When one port 45 or 4'!is connected with 43, the other port 45 or 41 is connected to the port21, as is clear from Fig. 1. 7 r

The device is carried upon a bracket 49, provided with an openingaccommodating the usual fittings in the ports 43, 45 and 41. Pipes 53and 55 respectively connect the ports 45 and 41 with opposite ends of aninjector cylinder 51' At the left end.

in which is a floating piston 59. of this cylinder 53 is an adjustablestop member 6| which limits the movement or the piston. 59. When thevalve 39 is set into its extreme left hand position adjacent head l9, asshown in Fig.

1, lubricant may find its way from inlet port 43 to transfer port 45,line 53, ,thus pushing the;

piston 59 to the right. This forces a measured amount of lubricant overthe line 55 through port 41, bore 3,passage- -29 and out the port 21!.Then it is delivered, for example, to a bearing to be lubricated. Byshifting the valve 39 to the right-hand end of its stroke adlacent headl9, the action is reversed, the piston 59 lIlOVll'lg to the left andforcing lubricant out over line 53 to the outlet 21. I

In order to operate thevalve39, a lever 63 is provided with apin-slottedconnection 95 with the rod H. The lower end of the'lever 53 is pivotedat 51 to an extension 59 carried in the head l9. By means of this lever53 th valve may be set.

A feature of'the invention is the radial and axial lost-motionconnection between the valve 39 and the extension 3i. This in view ofthe lap fit between the lands 4! and thebore 9 provides a very reliable,leak-proof valve which is not subjected to binding due to any strainsthat might be imposed upon head IS in tightening the supports for theheads l9 andZl. Thus rod I! will not bind, and full advantage maybetaken of the lap-fit construction.

Another feature is the packed-counterbore construction at both ends ofthe bore 3.

It might be believed that the solid-disc packing at the right-hand endof Fig. 1 would be unnecessary, because the body 5 could be integrallyclosed in at this end, that is, by makingloore3 of the deadend type.However, an opening at this end of the cylinder permits of properlapping which a dead-end cylinder would not. Thus the separate headconstruction with dead-end packing is pref erable. Furthermore, thismakes both ends of the body 1 identical and symmetrical so far asmachine operations are concerned which favors accurate manufacture.Leakage through the packing I5 is small. It will be observed that thepressure on the outside ends of the lands 4! is less than that on theinside by the amount lost in fiuidfriction in driving the iniector I. Sofar as the high pressure between the lands 4! is concerned, this isexactly balanced axially. The lower outside pressure is only out ofbalance by the amount brought about by the area of the rod l? whichintrudes through the head l9.

On one outer wall of the prism formed by the body I (but not a wall carrin the ports 21, or 43, 45, 4?) are two threaded holes H. These areshown in Fig. 5 wherein the bracket 49 is shown as having been removed.The purpose of these holes is to mount the device against any wall orthe like, without the bracket 49. It will be noted in this connectionthat the heads I9 and 2| may be located in any of their various possibleangular positions so as to accommodate mounting as desired either bymeans of the threaded holes (I or the bracket. For example, as'shown inFig. '4, the plane PE of the valve ports as shown in Fig. 1 may berotated to the horizontal position QR. This may b done without changingthe position of the bracket 49 and heads I9 and 2| by loosening thefastenings 25 and making a reconnection with the body I. This would thenplace the fittings in the horizontal dotted-line position shown in Fig.4. Also, in this horizontal position of the effect 'fas'tenings onhorizontal surfaces either above orbelow the device.

It will be noted that to prevent undue leakage out around the stem l1,it must have a fairly accurate fit through the opening in the head [9.Thus if the head 19, along with the head 2|, is to be used as a mountingsupport for the assembly, the loose fit between the valve 39 and theextension 3! of the stem is quite useful to prevent the strains on thehead l9 which might tend to cock the stem I! from being applied to theValve 39. z

In view of the above, itwill be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of th invention, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings'shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

We claim:

gitudinal bore provided with open counterbores at both ends, said bodyalso having a passage connecting said counterbores to an outlet port,separate heads attached to said body at its ends and covering saidcounterbores, one of said heads being solid and the other having anopening, packing in both of said counterbores, the packing under thehead without an opening being solid and the other packing having anopening, said body having an inlet port, a first transfer port locatedbetween the inlet port and the head having the opening, and a secondtransfer port located between the inlet and the other .head, all incommunication with said bore, a valve member having axially spaced landsslidable in said bore between a first position adjacent the head havingthe opening wherein it connects said inlet and first transfer portsthrough the space between the lands and connects said second transferport through said bore, the counterbore adjacent the solid head and thepassage to the outlet port, and a second position adjacent the solidhead wherein it connects said inlet and second transfer ports throughthe space between the lands and connects said first transfer portthrough said bore, the other counterbore and the passage to the outletport, and a valve stem coupled to the valve member and passing throughthe head with the opening and through the opening of the adiacentpacking.

2. A valve as set forth in claim 1, wherein said valve member has aclose fit in the bore and a loose connection with said valve stem.

3. A valve as set forth in claim '1, wherein said headsformsuoportingextensions and are fastened to the body by removable vfasteners per- 1.A valve comprising a body having a Ion-- mittlng the heads and body tobe fastened in any one of a plurality of different angular positions, alever pivoted on the head having the opening and articulated to thevalve stem, said valve stem having a loose connection with the valvemember, said fasteners being so related to the axis of the valve stemthat reconnections of the heads may be made to the body withoutinterfering with the proper articulation between the lever and the valvestem.

VICTOR G. KLEIN. LUTWIN C. ROTTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Smith Aug. 27, 1912 SteinerApr. 12, 1921 Francis June 11, 1929 Elten Feb. .13, 1934 BurlingtonSept. 17, 1940 Henry Sept. 15, 1942 Martin Apr. :27, 1943 Barnby Apr. 2,1946 Buchanan Nov. 5, 1946 Arbogast Apr.. 8, 1947

